The Georgia Department of Education's new office to support rural schools and districts will now be known as the Dr. David “Butch" Mosely Office of Rural Education and Innovation, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced.

Dr. David C. Mosely – known as “Butch" to his friends and colleagues – was a lifelong educator who served Georgia's students as a coach, teacher, administrator, and superintendent in school districts across the state. He passed away following an illness in early October.

A native of Climax, Georgia, Dr. Mosely served as superintendent in seven Georgia school districts and was named Superintendent of the Year in 1999 by the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. He went on to serve for more than two years as a member of the State Board of Education, a position he used to advocate for students, teachers, and public education.

“Dr. Butch Mosely was grounded in common sense, his core was rural Georgia, and he always had the heart of an educator," Superintendent Woods said. “He was a loyal friend to public education and is deeply missed. We are honored to rename the Office of Rural Education and Innovation as a lasting memory of his integrity, insight, and advocacy of rural students, teachers, and schools."

Dr. Mosely held a doctorate degree from Nova University, where he also served as an adjunct faculty member, teaching in the university's Educational Leadership program. He also held a specialist's degree from Valdosta State University and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Georgia. He is survived by his wife, June Cox Mosely, and their two children and seven grandchildren.

Superintendent Woods was joined by Dr. Mosely's daughter, son-in-law, and grandson at the Georgia School Superintendents Association's fall conference today to announce the naming of the Mosely Office of Rural Education and Innovation.

Established in July 2021, the Office of Rural Education and Innovation works to address educational needs in rural schools and districts and provide a continued, cabinet-level voice for the needs of rural Georgia in K-12 education policy.